With increasing demand for electronic devices with increased speed and/or reduced power consumption, semiconductor memory devices with faster operating speed and/or lower operating voltages have been researched. Magnetic memory devices have been researched as a candidate. Magnetic memory devices can provide technical advantages, for example, high speed and/or non-volatility, and thus magnetic memory devices may emerge as next-generation memory devices. Therefore, developing manufacturing process for mass production of magnetic memory devices and developing magnetic memory devices having a high integration density and/or low power consumption may be beneficial.
Magnetic memory devices include a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The MTJ includes two magnetic layers and an insulating layer interposed between the two magnetic layers. Resistance of the MTJ varies depending on magnetization directions of the magnetic layers. For example, the resistance of the MTJ is higher when magnetization directions of the magnetic layers are anti-parallel to each other than when they are parallel to each other. Such a difference in resistance can be used for data storing operations of the magnetic memory devices.